You have probably heard that when you make a good wish with a goldfish, the fish will offer you three wishes. Yes, that's what happened to Casimir the duck. Interested in his story? I'll tell you.
On a very beautiful, bright sunny morning, Casimir and his duck brothers went swimming in a nearby lake. The sun was shining so brightly that it was bound to be hot, so there was no question what their programme for the day would be: their mum would teach them to catch fish.
You should know that Casimir was the youngest, so he always swam at the back of the pack, and his brothers didn't pay much attention to him. They treated him like a little boy, so he felt he wasn't really loved.
And off they went, swimming in a nice line after Mama Duck. Their mum caught fish after fish, and they tried to imitate her, still a bit clumsy but very enthusiastically. It's no wonder, because it's not easy to catch fish: they slip, squirm and do their best not to get caught.
However, Casimir the duck succeeded. Suddenly, there in its beak was a beautiful, shiny, golden orange fish. Kazimierz was very happy, he was swimming to Duck Mama in a hurry when the fish sounded:
- Let me back in the water! You'll see, expect good things in place of good deeds!
Casimir wondered, for he knew that fish could not talk. He had strange feelings, for on the one hand he was eager to eat his first catch, and on the other he felt sorry for the fish. So he decided to release it back into the water.
The goldfish did not get away. He stuck his head out of the pond and said:
- Thank you for sparing my life. You will see, your kindness is not without gratitude! Make three wishes and I'll grant them.
Then the fish swam away. And Casimir the duck spent the whole day wondering what to wish for. He wanted so many things, but he didn't want to waste his wishes.
Meanwhile, it was getting dark and he had fallen asleep. The hours passed, and then, under the cover of night, he awoke to a strange noise. He listened to see what it was. Oh, what he heard! The light of the moon shone in the eyes of a fox. Sure enough, the Ravazdi was out hunting, and he had his eye on them as prey.
And that was all it took for Casimir to make his first wish:
- I wish the fox would not eat us!
The next moment the fox stepped in the wrong place and fell into the lake. The water washed him away and, because he could hardly swim and didn't like the water, he was very tired by the time he reached the shore. He was not in the mood for hunting.
The next day the duck family went swimming. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a big storm came up and his brothers and sisters got lost. Only little Casimir was left with his mother. Mama duck was very frightened, but Casimir said:
- Mother, I caught a goldfish yesterday who promised to grant me three wishes. I had already made one wish yesterday when the fox fell into the water. Now I wish for my brothers to come out.
The storm clouds cleared in moments and the lost ducklings were spotted. They were very happy to see each other. When they got home, they discovered that the storm had destroyed the nest they had carefully and painstakingly built on the edge of the reeds.
Casimir the duck spoke:
- My third wish is to have a nice, comfortable nest again.
In the twinkling of an eye, a nest twice the size of the fox's, very safe and secure, has been built, which even the biggest storm cannot destroy, and even the fox cannot see it.
Mama Duck's eyes were filled with tears, She was so proud of her son that at first she couldn't speak, but then she pulled herself together and turned to Casimir:
- My little boy, I am very proud of you. You did a good deed yesterday with the goldfish, for which he rewarded you. But you didn't take advantage of this wonderful opportunity for yourself by helping your family all this time. This kindness is found in very few. You saved us three times in one day. Know, then, that I will always be very grateful to you.
His brothers and sisters swam over and, together with their mother, embraced Casimir. And for him, a fourth wish had come true without him having to wish for it: he knew he was very much loved and could always count on them.
